http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/martin-bright/2008/10/auchi-obama-rezko-billionaire
Nadhmi Auchi and the New Statesman
The New Statesman | 6 Oct 2008 | Martin Bright
The brilliant people at Wikileaks have produced a very useful
collection of articles about stories removed from media websites
following legal threats from an Iraqi billionaire
The British-based Iraqi billionaire Nadhmi Auchi has become a highly
controversial figure in the United States after being linked to
Chicago-based businessman Tony Rezko - the weak link in the Obama
campaign.
The freedom of information site Wikileaks has now published some
fascinating material about Auchi's attempts to stop people writing
about him.
Auchi was convicted of fraud by the French courts in 2003 for his
involvement in illegal payments surrounding a deal he brokered for
the French oil company Elf-Aquitaine. Whenever I write this, Auchi's
lawyers send a letter asking us to say that their client is appealing
this verdict. So this time I'll save them the trouble.
The local paper The Chicago Sun-Times outlined this complex of
relationships in an article entitled Tony Rezko's Billionaire Buddy
in February. Rezko's wife and Obama bought adjoining plots in Chicago
on the same day in 2005. Obama later said he regretted doing a deal
with Mrs Rezko for a strip of land adjoining the two properties.
Earlier this year Rezko was convicted of fraud after it was discovered
he had not disclosed a $3.5 million loan from Auchi.